The Birmingham pub bombings in 1974 killed 21 people and 182 others were injured; it was then the deadliest terrorists attack perpetrated on mainland Britain since the Second World War and lead to the wrongful conviction of six Irishmen dubbed “The Birmingham Six”.

Now 69 years old Christopher Hayes has confessed to the BBC he was a “participant” and offered an apology to the victims and their families.

However, he refused to say who has planted the bomb, insisting he would rather die than reveal the information.

“No comment,” he told his interviewer.

“You would want me to go in and give the name of other men, to become an informer? I’d sooner die in front of you than become an informer.”

Whilst he did say two people were behind the bombs, he denied his own culpability.

“I’ve been accused of a lot of things, without one shred of forensic evidence, without one statement made, without one witness coming out against me,” he added.

He insisted that the scale of destruction wreaked by the bombs had surprised republicans and they had never intended to kill so many - he blamed jammed telephones lines which meant the bomb crew failed to transmit a 30-minute warning before a device detonated.

“We were horrified when we heard because it was not intended. I personally defused the third bomb,” he claimed.

However, his words cut little mustard with Julie Hambleton, whose sister died in the attack.

“We’re not interested,” she told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland. “These are empty rhetoric from an IRA apologist who is in some form, he’s believing, in his mind, trying to claim his soul but he most certainly won’t wash and try to claim valor in any way shape or form, we’re not interested in an apology. It is empty words.”

A further inquest into the bombing is planned by Hayes has said he will not attend - something that drew withering criticism from Hambleton.

“Well, they should grow some backbone and get in contact with our legal team... or the coroner in Birmingham and say they know who did it and they wish to give evidence because if they truly want to claim valor for their souls, which would be virtually impossible, that is the way forward for them to do so. But apologizing, when they are sitting protected having lived full and long lives, he’s 69. Last Thursday my sister Maxine would have been 61 had she lived, but she didn’t live.”